The Painted Skies
by Lara1221
Summary: Teddy and Victoire ask Roxanne to paint a mural in their baby's nursery.


**Disclaimer: **Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling. The picture is just some paint; also not mine, found it on the internet.

**A/N 1: **Considering the fact that every time I think about pregnancy I cringe (admittedly this has a bit to do with my age, but _mostly_ with the pregnancy thing, it's pretty ridiculous how many of my stories literally revolve around babies. I think I made this one particularly adorable :D (I'm rambling, you can skip to the story now) Just so you've got the idea, I picture Teddy at 29, and in my HC, Rox is 9 years younger. Honestly, I have no where idea where it came from, but I'm happy it did. Enjoy! Written for:

**QLFComp (Harpies' Seeker): Game 2: **every team member's story must feature a chosen character (Teddy Lupin) doing a chosen action (drinking something)**; Wizard Sweets challenge: ****cauldron cake: **inclue a plush toy mandrake in your fic**; delirium comp: easy: **quote by Lauren Oliver**; Chp. 3 Title Acrostics comp: T:** action prompt- tapping fingers**; Thinks you think comp: lorax: **write about a weasley**; weasleys, weasleys challenge: **explore platonic weasley relationships**; **

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_I said, I prefer the ocean when it's gray. Or not really gray. A pale, in-between color. It reminds me of waiting for something good to happen. _- Lauren Oliver

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The Painted Skies

The spare bedroom of a quaint cottage in the heart of Wales currently held Roxanne Weasley, working meticulously on her latest project. As she painted across the wall in swift, elegant strokes, the mural embodied her mind and soul, of everything she poured into her work and artistry. As if by magic, Roxanne drifted into a world all her own, not mechanically moving her paintbrush or thinking about her painting but _knowing_ that she was creating exactly what she wanted.

Which, come to think of it, she wasn't quite sure about that yet. Right now, she was just basing colors, mixing with them and swirling them in her style, waiting for inspiration to strike. Teddy had requested something babyish, girly, but Victoire had outright demanded that it was, instead, classy and beautiful. (The French that woman had in her never ceased to amaze her.)

Originally, after they had asked, she had experimented with her paints at home, thinking in terms of a natural scene, the sky calming for the baby. But after a bit of fussing, she thought it was too plain, and asked the new parents if she could just start right in the nursery. She didn't know how Muggle artists did it: if she messed up, she could just wave her wand and fix it. It was less natural, yes, so sometimes she got rid of the whole thing, but Muggles had to throw the canvas away, or crumple the paper, or _paint over the entire wall_.

_And then wait for it to dry. _

Merlin, the thought gave her nightmares.

The direction her latest painting-induced trance was taking her was by far her favorite. Originally, in the depiction of nature, she was thinking of going the generic-Muggle route (with her special touches, of course): rolling hills, sun setting sky. That was, of course, beautiful, but the colors, they just-

something about them wasn't right. She couldn't _feel _it.

But she could _feel_ this, it made her warm inside and burst with joy and ponder why she hadn't thought of it before. Both Teddy and Victoire were practically in love with the ocean, and no doubt they would raise little Jacqueline Dora the same way. Roxanne also knew that despite their love and wish for it, work kept Teddy close to the Ministry, and Victoire to St. Mungo's. There was always floo, but Victoire also brought up the point that she had lived next to the Ocean her entire life, and Teddy may as well have, and she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city. Out on the coast, they would isolate themselves and she would go insane.

And noticing the incredibly short temperament of a pregnant woman, Teddy (wisely) decided not to argue at that point.

_Happy wife, happy life_.

Roxanne smirked at the thought. He would go anywhere for her.

And that includes away from the ocean, that they both loved so dearly, so Roxanne looked at the mural on the wall, and tried to picture it in her mind: the rolling, ever-changing ocean, the blue skies of the gray water of England's seaside in late summer, and the sun that rose each morning, and the stars each night. What she was doing here was pushing the boundaries of even Wizarding artistry, she knew, as paint didn't normally _do_ that.

But it was so, so worth it.

And both Teddy and Victoire were brill at charms, not to mention her brother: the one man who was an expert in making things _not normal_.

Tapping her fingers against her chin, thinking harder, the image formed in her head, and she knew she wasn't going to stop until she had it perfect. And maybe one day, she could paint something for the world to see, ever-changing paint one a grand scale.

But this was for the family. They came first, always did and always will.

"Hey, this looks great!" the excited voice of Teddy Lupin behind her broke her out of her reverie, and she turned to look at him, grinning.

"Liar, I've just started. You're being too nice. Don't do that."

"Rox," he told her, looking her in the eyes, "are you aware what this would look like if I was painting it? They don't have a name for that level of disgusting. Relax, take a drink." She raised both eyebrows. "It was a figure of speech," he sighed as she looked on incredulously, muttering

"it's take a _breath_,"

"-but fine." With a wave of his wand, he summoned two cold butterbeer bottles, twisted his open and took a long drink, then handed the other to her. She smiled in thanks, and fiddled with the cap while looking at her mural, still somewhat lost in her imagination.

"So," Teddy said after a few moments of silence.

"So?" she looked up curiously.

"So what's it supposed to be, then? If this beautiful mural is not up to your exceptionally high stan-"

"TED! How many times have I told you that summoning hard object _across the house DOES. NOT. WORK_!"

"-dards," he finished rather lamely. "I'm sorry Vic, are you okay?" he called down to her.

"For your own safety, you're lucky I am. Lina's in a fit now, though. Won't stop crying." Tuning her ears, she could hear the faint sound of tears growing louder as Victoire made her way up the stars. Victoire stopped in the doorway, a crying Lina in her arms who was desperately clutching a plush mandrake (a gift from Neville, no doubt). Roxanne saw her cousin's eyes grow wide.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, though Lina was still crying. "What have you got in mind?"

Faintly, she heard Teddy mutter something like "_girls_, put up a bloody fight when I said it looked nice," before he looked back up at her, grinning even though Vic was glaring at him.

Roxanne ignored him, and beamed at the family of three. "I can't wait until you see it finished. I just got the best idea a few minutes ago. Do you know when we pitch up the live-in tent by your Dad's each year, down in Cornwall? And the summer's almost ending, but the ocean is still beautiful. It's that gorgeous shade of gray- blues and greens all mixed into one, and there's so much wonder to it, so much joy. It makes me happy." She paused a little, looking to the wall and imagining it again. "It made me feel hope. Little Lina's going to get that every day," she reached out to the baby and tickled her softly, making her smile slightly as Victoire soothed her cries with gentle rocking. "And in the morning," here, Roxanne moved ot the other side of the room, and brought her arms up in a sweeping motion, "the sun will rise from the other side of the room, and at bedtime, it will go down below the horizon, and- I haven't worked it out yet -but there are going to be stars. You watch."

"We'll help you with the charms. This is brilliant, Roxanne. I can't wait until you're big and famous, and we can say we started that." Roxanne blushed a little, and said,

"Thank you," smiling softly.

"Cheers!" exclaimed Teddy, raising his butterbeer.

"Cheers," Victoire echoed, smiling at her.

"Please," Roxanne said, cheeks flushed, "Cheers to you!" Roxanne couldn't help it: as she spoke, she became enthralled again, and painted the ocean, just the ocean, in that beautiful way she loved.

Lina's wondrous laughter echoed through the room.

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**A/N 2: **_confession: _I have absolutely no idea what england's seaside looks like in late summer XD USA! USA!

Please let me know if you enjoyed!


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